Now that he was taking the lead, many would respond.
Senju Dōma saw ambition in Senju Nawaki's eyes.
He was happy to help Nawaki fulfill his wish.
All of this would become power in Nawaki's hands.
"Good!"
Senju Nawaki lay on the hospital bed, head tilted as he watched Senju Dōma sink into the earth.
Earth Release: Hiding Like a Mole Technique allowed one to move underground as freely as a fish in water. The only drawback was interference from objects like tree roots.
Now that Senju Dōma had awakened Wood Release, he could perform an enhanced version of the technique—fusing Earth, Water, and Wood Release. It resembled White Zetsu's Mayfly Technique, but was faster and more concealed.
If Nawaki hadn't also awakened Wood Release, he would never have been able to track Dōma's departure.
He began to map out his future plans in his mind.
Anbu's performance today made him certain that Konoha had not noticed his transformation. To them, he was still just a pawn, a disposable Senju meant to pay tribute like a dog.
They wanted him to bleed out the last remnants of Senju power in future wars.
Senju Nawaki also had a strong guess about Anbu's identity.
Sarutobi Shinnosuke.
He recalled the Anbu who had questioned him earlier and confirmed that the monkey-masked Anbu was none other than the Third Hokage's eldest son.
At this time, Sarutobi Hiruzen had already begun paving the way for his son, giving him command experience in the Anbu.
Arrogant, untempered, and already corrupted by greed—Shinnosuke wanted to scrape away the last scraps of Senju wealth from Nawaki, whom everyone thought was about to fade into obscurity.
The cowardly image of Senju Nawaki was deeply rooted in everyone's minds.
But with his plan in hand, he would first exact a price from Sarutobi Shinnosuke. Then, he would use the Hokage's son's identity as a stepping stone to break away from Konoha.
The Sarutobi bloodline was formidable. Both Hiruzen and Shinnosuke possessed all five chakra natures.
Rumor had it they were attempting to fuse three natures in search of a new Kekkei Genkai.
The debts owed to the Senju clan would be repaid—slowly, but surely.
Nawaki calculated that the cards in his hand were far more numerous and far sharper than he had once believed.
It was only the original fool—himself before awakening—who had been brainwashed into wasting such potential.
The most important thing now was to care for his current body.
Unconsciously, his mind relaxed.
Before long, Senju Nawaki drifted into sleep.
…
The ninja world was shifting rapidly.
The fundamental issue of interest and resource distribution had not been resolved—war was still brewing.
The Fire Nation's location and resources made it the most coveted land.
The story of Senju Nawaki spread far and wide, mocked as a joke.
The grandson of the former God of Shinobi had become a useless cripple.
Konoha convened a special council of its senior shinobi to decide his fate.
Since the last heir of the Senju could no longer bear the clan's glory, Konoha would obey the will of the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, and fully absorb the Senju into the village.
The various Konoha clans sent representatives to "escort" Senju Nawaki back. In truth, they were eager to divide what remained of the Senju's resources.
In exchange, Konoha would "protect" Nawaki's safety.
All of it was decided without his opinion.
In their eyes, he was still that same idiot—at the mercy of others.
…
Three days later.
Konoha Hospital, in the ward.
Senju Nawaki tested a wooden prosthetic limb attached to his leg, pacing stiffly beside the bed.
His steps were awkward, uncoordinated—like a toddler's.
"It's still clumsy. Looks like I need to improve my vitality quickly, to the point where I can regenerate lost limbs."
He still couldn't adapt. If he had the chance, he would of course prefer to return to his original form.
He needed to accelerate his growth—his bloodline needed further refinement and completion.
Sitting back on the bed, he wiped sweat from his face.
Noise echoed from outside.
Today, Konoha had sent three jōnin, led by Hatake Sakumo, to announce the council's resolution.
The Hatake had once intermarried with the Senju, but Sakumo himself belonged to no faction.
Konoha had chosen him deliberately, hoping Nawaki would return peacefully.
But Nawaki already had other plans.
Konoha was nothing more than a gilded cage.
The mention of Hatake Sakumo only reminded him of the village's growing darkness. Nawaki would never be a loyal dog of Konoha again.
Currently, two senior Senju shinobi guarded his ward. Aside from Senju Dōma, even Tsunade needed permission to enter.
The door could no longer be kicked open at will. That alone gave him some sense of safety.
Knock… Knock… Knock…
"Enter…"
Nawaki recognized the familiar rhythm—it was Senju Dōma.
This time, there was no use of stealth techniques. He entered openly.
"Nawaki, how's your recovery?"
Dust still clung to Dōma's armor, as though he had just returned from a long-distance mission.
"Granduncle Dōma, recovering well." Nawaki stood, taking a few stiff steps before sitting again. "What did Aunt say?"
During these three days, their plan had been executed.
The two jōnin outside were Senju loyalists willing to follow Nawaki.
Meanwhile, Tsunade had contacted the Land of Fire's daimyō, undermining Sarutobi Hiruzen's standing among the nobles.
Dōma hurried forward, helping Nawaki sit up, his eyes full of excitement as he spoke:
"The Sarutobi clan has gone too far. They've allied with the Ino–Shika–Chō and other clans, aiming to seize our Senju wealth."
"But in doing so, they've damaged the interests of many noble families who depended on us. If given more time, they might truly use shinobi power to usurp those interests."
"Now, the daimyō and several nobles have decided to suppress Sarutobi Hiruzen."
A cold light flashed in Senju Dōma's eyes. Everything was ready. Now, it was their turn.
"There's still time for everything," Nawaki nodded.
The former pawn was ready to step off the chessboard—and become the one moving the pieces.
At the same time, a chill ran through his heart.
Hiruzen and Konoha had already extended their grasp into the Land of Fire's nobility.
With shinobi power behind them, the Senju's allies would eventually be crushed.
Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju—those two had left behind much harm. Their decisions had nearly doomed the clan.
If you gave up power, you became nothing more than food on someone else's table.
Fortunately, Nawaki had reacted in time.
Now was the moment to strike back.